Grain planter



W. L. BEALL GRAIN PLANTER Nov. 1, 1932.

Filed Aug. 14. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 1, 1932. w. BEALL 4 I I GRAIN PLANTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1929 9 flay Patented Nov. 1 1932 UNIT-EDQSTATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM L. BEAIiL; or CHATTANOOGA, TENNEssnE, ASSIGNOR 'ro' INTERNATIONAL HARVESTERGOMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEvV JERSEY GRAIN "rLANTE-n Application filed August 14, 1929. Serial No. 385,713.

This invention relates to walking planters. More particularly it relates to improvements in a grain planting device such as is used in certain types-of cotton and corn 1. planters.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a dispensing device of the type referred to in which the seed hopper is automatically engaged with the driving mecha- 10 nism during forwardoperation, and automatically disengaged during rearward movement.

.Another object is to provide means for mounting and for manually controlling the 15 dispensing mechanism by tilting the seed hopper.

Gther objects will be apparent from the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings per construction embodying the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the tilting lever supporting bracket and the tensioning member which is attached thereto;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the means for holding the tilting lever in position; v

Figure 4 is a top plan viewof the planter with the seed can removed, showing the peculiararrangement of the driving plate as it is mounted on thehopper base; and,

Figure 5 is a frontelevatlon showing the manner in'which the hopper is mounted on the supporting base, the dotted lines showing the hopper in tilted position. V As shown in Figure 4, the main frame consists oftwo side members 1 and a cross member 2 whichserves as a hopper supporting base. A furrow opener 3 is clamjpedbetween the front ends of the side members 1, which are bent together at the front and secured by suitable means. The rear end of the furrow opener has a seed passage 4 extending up to the hopper base, as shown in F igure't.

Adriving wheel5 is mounted on an axle shaft 6;, which has cranks 7 'on either side of the wheel for driving the planter mechanism. The axle shaft is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 8 secured to the side frame members 1. frame members 1 intermediate their length Figural is a grain planter showing a hop- Handles 9 are secured to the side.

and are held in position by bracing bars The cross frame member or hopper support 2 is of a peculiar construction. Downwardly projecting, apertured ears 11, as shown in Figure 5, are secured to the frame side members by suitable bolts. The memher 2 has two spaced hook-shaped extensions 11 extending laterally over each of the side frame members 1. The center of the cross .i-ember 2 is dipped downwardly and a driving member or gear 12 is rotatably mounted thereon. The hopper base 2 has a flange 13 extending over the driving member 12 tohold it securely in position against tipping during rot-ative movement. The under side of the member 12 is provided with gear teeth 14- which mesh with the gear 15 mounted on a crank shaft 16 below the frame. In Figure 4 a plurality of the gear teeth 14 are indicated in dotted lines and in Figure 5 the upper part of the gear 15 is indicated by dotted llines to show its engagement with the teeth The crank shaft 16 is provided with two spaced cranks 18 which are joined by connecting rods 19 to the cranks T on the rear driving shaft 6. The crank shaft 16 is ro tatably secured in position by two bearing blocks 8 secured to the frame side members by the same means which hold the hopper supporting base in position; Ratchet teeth 20 are provided on the upper surface of the driving member 1-2. These teeth are provided with a vertical engaging surface adapted to transmit driving torque when the planter is moved forwardly and slanting surfaces adapted to serve as sliding cams when the planter is moved in a rearward direction. I i

The hopper consists of a covered seed con- Thetilting lever 26 extends rearwardly and is supported intermediate its length by a bracket 27. The bracket 27 is secured by a bolt to one of the hook-shaped extensions 11" on the hopper base. As shown in Figure 1, the bracket 27 has an intermediate portion which is substantially arallel to the tilting lever. A slot 28 in t e bracket 27 serves as a pivot point for the tilting lever du manual operation and prevents latral d splacement of said lever. A small rod 29 is secured to the tilting lever and extends through an opening in the flattened portion of the bracket 27 A spring 30 abuts against the bottom of the flattened portion of the bracket 27 and ainst a washer 31 held on u the rod by anadjustablenut 32.

,At the rear of the planter frame near the handle brace an upwardly extending bar 33 is attached tothe side frame member and iaprovided with means for holding the tiltinglever in lowered or lifted positions. Figone shows an enlarged detail of this means. Al short bar 34 is secured to the bar 33 in spaced relation by securing means 35 and a spacer 36. u .The dispensing means in the ho per, not shown, is driven by ratchet teeth 3 similar to'the-teeth 20, integrally mounted on an actultilf member, shown in Figure 5, which eXten downwardly into engagement w1th the teeth on the member 12.

. In the operation of the planter the wheel 5 drivesthe gear 15 b means of the cranks on the respective sha s and the connecting The gear 15 drives the member 12. Dining forward motion, the ratchet teeth 20 w the ratchet teeth 37 and drive the disuting mechanism in the hopper. When thehepper'is tilted and placed in operative 40 it is very likely that the ratchet math 37 ma rest on the top of the ratchet tedh 20. owever, the tilting lever 26 is raised and hooked over the top of the rearwardly positioned support 34. In this po- 44; sitiprrthe hopper is slightly tilted, as shown e gerated position in Figures 1 and 5a tllting lever 26 is spaced somewhat above the supporti bracket 24, and the -29 exerts a ownward force which tends-to seat the hopper base upon its support. .As soon as the planter is given a formovement, the ratchet teeth 36 drop down :into engagement with the ratchet teeth 20. g

56, .The construction of this planter also perunits of backward movement of the planter. Theslidingcam surfaces on the ratchet teeth 20 raisothe hopper against the spring pressureand jump the teeth 36. v

00 it is desired to raise the hopper so that the planting mechanism will be com-.

I pletely out of engagement with the driving the tllting lever is moved from itsdpoeltlon at the top of the holding bar 34 66 {5n is pushed downwardly. When the tilting lever is manually operated to lift the hopper, it is pivoted about the bottom of the slot 28 in the bracket 27. As the 5 ring 30 is attached to the tiltin bar close to t e int of ivoting of the brac et 27, comparatively litt e resistance is offered to the manual tilting movement. If it is desired to hold the hopper out of operative position, that is, with the ratchet teeth 36 above and out of engagement with the teeth 20, the tilting lever may be hooked under the lower extension of the bar 34.

Although the dis ensing device of this invention has been escribed as applied to a seed lanter of a well known construction, 'it is to understood that it may be used whereever such a construction is adaptable. Applicant limits his invention only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a grain planter, a frame, a hopper support on said frame, a seed hop er hinged to said support at one side of the rame, is-' pensing mechanism carried by said hopper andhavin an actuating member extending below the opper, driving means carried by the frame positioned to engage said actuating member, said means being disengageable by movement of the planter in a reverse direction, a bracket mounted on the frame on the side of the hopper opposite the hinge, a slot in said bracket open at the top, a tilting lever extending through said slot and being pivotally connected to the ho per, a resilient tension means attache to the tilting lever, sa' tilting lever having an extension beyond the bracket, and means for holding said extension in a pivoted osition whereby the hopper may tilt with t elever pivoting about said means, said means ermitting the removal of said lever from the olding means for manually tilting the hopper.

2. In a planter, a frame having a supporting wheel, a hopper support on said frame, a seed hopper hinged to said sup ort, dispensing mechanism carried by sai hop r and having an actuatin member extendiixg be low the hopper, sai member being provided with downwardly extending ratchet teeth, a horizontally positioned driving gear mounted on the ho per support, upstanding ratchet teeth on sai gear positioned and formed to engage the teeth on the actuating member when the gear is rotated in one direction and to ratchet over said teeth and tilt the hopper when the gear is rotated in the other direction, means for driving said gear from the supporting wheel, and means to resiliently hold the hopper in position.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

' WILLIAM L. BEALL. 

